THE GRUDGE 2: Kayako's Revenge
by TheGrudge154
Summary: Kayako is back, and this time...she won't be stopped. Story now finished...for now. May continue in a "Grudge 3" when the new movie comes out so I have new inspiration
1. The Dream

**THE GRUDGE 2**

**The Dream**

_1 month after the Saeki House incident_

"Ah, this is what I need" said Ratchet as he layed down into his hammock in the garden. Rooftop gardens were hard to come by in Metropolis especially because of the price. Luckily, being a former Sergeant in the Galactic Rangers bought more than a fair share of royalties. Clank was away at some physics convention on Psylon 8, leaving Ratchet to recover from the events one month before. Although Clank was now back from the Zoni, Ratchet didn't see his friend that often. The robot was always too busy with something else. Ratchet wished Clank would spend more time with him. He wanted to see his friend and it made him quite sad when Clank wasn't around. He sighed. The last 2 months had been quite busy. He'd learned about being the last Lombax ever, what Tachyon had done to his family and the incident with...her. Ratchet shuddered at the thought of it. He shook his head to get the feeling of death out of his system. He had died...for 3 days he was not alive. It chilled Ratchet to the bone. But he soon forgot about it. She wasn't coming back and this was his time to relax. He closed his eyes to sleep as the afternoon sun warmed his fur.

Clank walked in through the door to the apartment. Quantum physics were truly fascinating especially when told by a great professor. He put down his small bags and walked out onto the garden.

"I'm back Ratchet"

Ratchet suddenly looked up and jumped down from the hammock

"Clank! Welcome back. Did you have some fun?"

"Yes, the physics involved in the processes mentioned were quite complex and fascinating. Especially the theory on quantum matter"

Although Ratchet didn't have a clue what he was talking about, he was still glad Clank had a good time.

"Did you manage to recharge whilst you were there?"

"Only a few hours. I think I'll go and rechardge for a bit now"

Ratchet's mood lowered slightly as Clank walked off.

"Oh, OK...see you later then"

Clank didn't answer as the door slammed shut. Ratchet sighed as he went outside onto his hammock again. He folded his arms and growled under his breath. What was wrong with Clank? He was never like this before the Zoni took him. Maybe they had done something to his brain? But when Al had checked out Clank, nothing was wrong.

"Hmph..." Ratchet said under his breath "What the heck is wrong with you?" He yawned it was getting quite late. He went back inside and opened the bedroom door. He noticed Clank recharging in the corner. Ratchet sighed and laid down on the bed. He closed his eyes as sleep took over his body. But neither one of the two friends in the room noticed her...

_"Argh! No, please, stop this!"_

_Ratchet crawled along the ground, his legs lifeless and his arms gripping the floor uselessly. Clank, Sasha, Al, Qwark...all were now gone. He was the only one left. He screamed in agony as something grabbed him and threw him into the wall behind him. Through the blood trickling down his face, he saw her, edging towards him, croaking horribly in the darkness. He even saw that boy staring at him. Just watching as though he knew the Lombax was doomed. Ratchet gritted his teeth as she gripped his arm tightly and began moving closer towards him. Suddenly he gasped as his neck was suddenly wrenched to the side. An awful cracking was heard...his body fell down...he looked up through his failing vision. And then, in the darkness with the melevolent entity cracking her neck violently, Ratchet laid still and let his eyes fall shut..._

"AHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Ratchet jerked upwards in his bed and his eyes flew open. He looked around. He was still in his room. And Clank was safe. Just a bad dream. But something was different about. It seemed so real... Was it real? Or just his imagination? He had been thinking about the past month's events lately. He wiped his forehead and got up form the bed. Maybe a shower would calm him down. Ratchet opened the bathroom door, undressed and he stepped in, letting the warm water wash through his fur. He sighed. Yes, this is what he needed. He ran his hands through the fur on his head. Then, as he did so, a pale grey hand appeared from beneath the fur and grabbed him.

"Ah! What..."

As he grabbed at his fur the hand was gone and he was left standing there wondering what had happened.

"What's going on...? Was that...Kayako?"

Ratchet shivered as he continued to wash. And he was right. It was Kayako. And soon, she would be back...


	2. Karen & Aubrey

**THE GRUDGE 2**

**Karen & Aubrey**

"Ratchet! Wake up, it's 11:00 AM!"

Ratchet groaned in protest at Clank's voice being pushed into his eardrums.

"Ungh...Clank, I didn't have the best night's sleep so just a few more...minutes..."

Clank was puzzled

"What do you mean? You slept soundly all night from what I could tell"

Ratchet sat up in his bed, rubbing his eyes. He gripped the covers tightly as though he didn't want to get up yet.

"Clank, I did anything BUT that..."

Still puzzled as to what Ratchet was talking about, Clank sat down next to his friend

"What happened?"

"I think...I think she's coming back" the Lombax said in a shaky voice

"Who? Who's coming back?"

"K-Kayako"

Clank put a hand on his friend's shoulder

"How do you know this?"

"Well I was in the shower and uh...it's difficult to explain. I just have a feeling is all"

"Ratchet, she can't come back. We put a stop to it remember?"

"No, something feels different this time. Something's changed..."

"Well, I'll be serving breakfast if you want any"

Clank walked towards the door as Ratchet stepped out of bed

"Oh, and after that shower, I can tell you forgot to get dressed"

Clank giggled as Ratchet dove back under the covers blushing like mad through his fur.

Still a bit annoyed at losing his decency in front of his robot companion, Ratchet ate breakfast angrily while occasionally glacing at the TV. He could swear he could see something...His thoughts were interrupted by Clank putting down a frying pan and scooping another sausage onto Ratchet's plate

"I can tell you were embarrassed, but I've seen Lombax anatomy before"

"Clank, drop it!"

Clank laughed again as the phone rang

"I'll get it"

The small robot picked up the phone as began to talk to Al who was inquiring as to whether Clank needed an upgrade. Ratchet clattered down his knife and fork and reached for his jacket on the wall. Clank looked up at him

"Ratchet, where are you going?"

"Earth"

Clank gasped

"Listen Al, I've got to go now. I'll call later"

He ran over to his Lombax friend.

"Are you crazy? Do you remember what happened last time you went there?!"

"Clank, I'll be fine. I'm just checking it out that's all"

Still not convinced, Clank nodded

"But before you go, you may want to take this"

He handed Ratchet a small device

"It fits on your arm. It will make you invisible to anyone unless you touch them and remain contacted with them.  
"Wow, thanks Clank! I'll be back later!"

Ratchet then ran out of the door towards Aphelion.

Ratchet jumped out of Aphelion. He had landed her at roughly the same spot as before. He glanced up and gasped. The Saeki house was on fire! He ran in towards the garden

"Is anyone there!? Hello!"

A small cry for help answered him.

"In here, please, she's coming back!"

Ratchet's eyes went wide as he ran round the back of the house.

"Don't move, I'm coming in!"

He kicked the door down and his eyes were blasted with heat and smoke. Through the flames he could see a figure laying down gasping for air.

"I'm coming, just hang in there!"

He carefully jumped over the burning beams and wood and flipped ovet twice in the air to land at the figure's feet.

"Are you OK, miss?"

The person looked up at him. She was very pretty with sparkling blue eyes and blond hair done up in a pony tail.

"Wh-What are you?" she said in a shocked voice

"Never mind that, let's just get you out of here OK?"

She nodded still unsure as to what was saving her exactly. But through the smoke and the flames, she just wanted to get out. Ratchet touched the device on his arm and it glowed blue. Not only was it keeping anyone else from seeing the Lombax, but it was also acting as a torch through the smoke.

"Come on, we're almost there!"

He looked down at the female but she was pointing behind them.

"She...she's there!"

Ratchet looked behind. Kayako was crawling along the floor jerking her neck with horrible cracking sounds. She was still croaking and Ratchet could hear her even through all the flames.

"Ah! Come on!"

Ratchet ran faster and pulled the woman out of the door. Now that they were clear, she could see him clearly. She gasped and backed away

"W-What are you?"

"Shhh...it's fine OK. I can explain later. Right now you need an ambulance"

Later at the hospital, Ratchet was still with the woman. None of the doctors had seen him so that must've meant the device was working. When they had left the room, the woman had been strapped down. Apparently, her tale of encountering Kayako was enough to convince the nurses she was insane. She looked up at him.

"You don't think I'm mad do you?"

"Of course not. I've seen her before too"

He smiled when she wouldn't stop staring at him.

"You know, I'm surprised you're reacting this way. Most people would have jumped a foot if they saw me"

"Well, after all of this happeneing lately, I'll believe anything. Let me guess. Alien right?"

Ratchet nodded

"What's your name?"

"Ratchet. Nice to meet you"  
He extended a hand which she nervously shook

"I'm Karen. Nice to meet you too"

She smiled at him. She looked up at the glass door when she saw doctors approaching

"Hide!"

Ratchet ducked behind the bed as the door opened. A young woman walked in. She had long curly brown hair. She was wearing a green coat with fur along it's hood. She stepped closer to Karen

"Karen?"

Karen was shocked.

"Aubrey? Aubrey is that really you?"

"Yeah, it's me"

The 2 embraced one another. Ratchet was slightly puzzled. Maybe they were related?"

"Mom sent me down to see how you were doing. But now I find you here..." Aubrey said

"I know, no-one believes me"

Karen opened her mouth to tell Aubrey about Ratchet, but then she stopped. Saying that would make her seem even more insane.

"Karen? What happened at that house?"

Aubrey seemed concerned. Ratchet's ears perked up. Maybe learning this could help him.

"Well... it started when I had to go there for work..."


	3. A Midnight Visitor

**THE GRUDGE 2**

**A Midnight Visitor**

"...there was this family there and I was sent to look after one of them and then, one of them died and..."

Aubrey put a hand on her sister's shoulders

"Karen, slow down. Tell me what happened. Did you start that fire?"  
Karen didn't reply, instead her eyes went wide as though she had just realised something and it was something truly frightening.

"Aubrey, you have get me out of here! I need to go back!"

Ratchet noticed Aubrey begin to back away

"Karen, you're scaring me..."

"Aubrey, I have to go back! I have to!"

Suddenly, the door burst open and 3 men in white coats came into the room. They immediately tightened the strap around Karen's waist and fastened her down by the wrists and feet. She was still struggling and begging Aubrey to take her away from here

"I need to go, it's my only chance. Please!"

A man came up to Aubrey and muttered something in her ear. Aubrey nodded and turned to her sister

"Karen, I'm sorry..."

She turned her head and walked away. The men then left and switched the light off. Karen felt like smacking herself in the head. And she would if it weren't for the restraints. Ratchet stood up from behind the bed and looked down at her. Karen rolled her eyes..

"Oh, hell! Sorry. I must seem like a freak..."  
"You're not. Although I am slightly curious why you went crazy just then?" Ratchet answered with a slight grin

"I don't know...I guess I'm just desperate to get out of here"

"Yeah, I bet...well, I better get going. I have a friend waiting for..."  
"Wait! Could you stay here for a while? If it's not too much trouble that is..."

"Sure. I don't need to be anywhere at the moment"

Karen smiled at him briefly

"Thanks"

Karen turned away from him and sighed as the lights around the hospital switched off.

Clank sprung up into his normal form. It was around 11:00 at night and he was alone in the apartment. Ratchet hadn't come back yet. But it had only been one day. So there wasn't really anything to worry about was there? Still he could sense something bad was going to happen. He got up and walked into the living room. At least this way, he could recharge and read at the same time. Clank jumped up onto the couch and opened his book.

"Ah, Quantum Physics Volume V...let's see, 'dark matter' is next..."

Suddenly, Clank felt something brush by his arm. He gasped. Thinking it was only the wind he got back to reading. But the window wasn't open, and it was a calm night on Kerwan... Then he felt it again. Something had definitely touched him. He looked up

"Ratchet, are you playing tricks?"

No response. Clank sighed to himself. Maybe his imagination was playing tricks with him. If he even had an imagination that is. He glanced down at his book. He jumped back from it when a hand suddenly appeared from in between the pages and tried to grab him. It abrubtly vanished and the book clattered to the floor. Clank looked around the apartment. He noticed a small pale white boy with short jet black hair huddled in the corner staring at him through wide eyes.

"H-Hello?" Clank stuttered. There wasn't a reply from the boy. The only thing that Clank heard was a croaking. A croaking that seemed to be advancing on him. A croaking from above him. Clank shivered as he slowly raised his head. The face staring down at him, the black long hair, the wide eyes and the horrible rattling sound. It was unmistakable...

An hour had passed since Aubrey had left Karen and Ratchet. Ratchet was laid in his chair asleep. Karen was far from asleep however. She knew she had blown her one chance to escape this curse. She had to get out. She turned her head towards Ratchet.

"Hey! Hey, wake up!"

Ratchet groaned and opened his eyes

"I'm up, I'm up, what's going on...?" he answered, still not fully awake.

"Ratchet, I..."

Karen's words were cut off by the small light abover her flickering. It flickered even more and looked like it was going to go out. Both of them had seen this before. They looked at each other with wide eyes. Ratchet dove at Karen's restraints and began to undo them frantically

"Hurry, hurry! She's...Ah!"

Karen cried out when she saw a pale hand grab her arm through the small times when the room was illuminated. Ratchet gasped as he felt something touch his shoulder. He undid the last restraint and Karen jumped out of the bed. And she had done so at just the right time. Kayako had appeared and was now advancing on them both, jerking her neck horribly. Karen banged frantically on the locked door

"Someone, help!"

"Wait! Hide here..." Ratchet said. Dispite the fact that Kayako was still moving towards them. A guard on the other side of the door unlocked it and as he opened it, Ratchet grabbed Karen by the arm and pulled her through the door and they dashed down the hall leaving the guards screaming at them.

"Come on, keep going!" Ratchet shouted. The two of them paused as they wondered which way to go. Karen noticed a group of doctors staring at her.

"Ratchet..."

The Lombax looked up at the doctors. There in the huddle of them all, was Kayako staring at them with an emotionless face.

"Run!" Karen screamed. And they did so. Dashing up stairs and through hallways, but still Kayako would always be there. They eventually came to the door to the roof of the hospital, Ratchet pushed it open and they were immeditely blasted with the cold air of the night. Karen sat down on the tarmac.

"This is impossible...she won't give up!"

"Maybe she should try a different career..." Ratchet said

"Behind you!"

Ratchet span round to see Kayako croaking and crawling the ground towards him. He looked around looking for a way out of the situation. But as he looked back at Kayako, she had gone. He sighed a big sigh of relief.

"Phew, I think we got away with it..."

"Yeah, maybe it will be O..."

Karen suddenly stopped speaking. Ratchet spun round. She was gone

"Karen! Karen, where are you!?"

He suddenly heard a sickening smash far below him. He gasped. He slowly came to the roof edge and looked down 11 stories. Karen was down there, in a pool of blood that seemed to be getting bigger. Aubrey was there, cradling her dead sister and crying her eyes out. Ratchet fell backwards in shock. Tears began to form in his eyes.

"No...it can't be..."

He hit the floor with his fist in a rage

"NO! That shouldn't have happened! Why?!"

He gazed once more down the building and looked at the scene below him. As a tear fell from his eye, he muttered to himself

"Why..."

He nodded his head. He would end this. He would avenge Karen. He would end it all. But, that was only if Kayako didn't get to him first...


	4. Clank! Help Me!

**THE GRUDGE 2**

**"Clank! Help me!"**

Ratchet staggered in through the door of the apartment. His eyes burned from the wind blowing into his face as he ran as fast as he could back to his home. He'd already caused a death and he'd barely been near the person for less than a few hours. Ratchet smacked his fist against the wall.

"Damnit! When is this gonna stop?"

He quickly got a hold of himself. Getting upset about it wouldn't help. And _she _could turn up at any moment. The Lombax sighed and flicked on the light switch.

"Clank, you in here?" Ratchet asked. However, his mouth fell open when he looked at the apartment. Everything had been literally turned inside out and upside down. Papers were thrown about, books filled the floor, chairs were overturned...and no sign of Clank. Was it a burglary?

"Clank! Clank, where are you?"

Ratchet frantically searched around, but Clank was no where to be seen. No flash of metal, no green hue of his eyes, nothing. The Lombax started panicking. What if...? No, that couldn't be. She had no reason to. But...

"Kayako!" Ratchet screamed "I know you're here! Show yourself!"

After a few moments, Ratchet heard something that made him regret his previous action. A croaking that had chilled him to the bone ever since that first time he had heard it in that house. Ratchet began to breath quicker and his heart began to beat faster. The croaking got louder and he felt something touch his shoulder. The Lombax held his breath and span round. Clank was laid against the wall. His green eyes suddenly sparked to life as he looked around.

"Where am I?"

"Clank!"

Ratchet ran forward to his robot friend and gripped him tightly.

"I though she'd got you!"

Clank was puzzled

"Who's she?"

Then the robot suddenly jumped in shock when he realised what had happened

"Ratchet, she came here! She tore apart the place looking for you. And then she let me go for some reason and..."

"Clank, slow down. It doesn't matter, as long as you're safe, OK?"

The Lombax smiled as he patted Clank's shoulder. He stood up to look at the extent of the damage.

"This is gonna cost me..."

"I am sorry Ratchet, it's my fault that she came here..."  
"It's not! Don't beat yourself up over it. If it's anyone's fault, it's mine for going into that house in the first place"

Ratchet turned and whispered to himself

"What does she want from me...?"

It was a few days later since Kayako had come to Ratchet's apartment, and to Clank, Ratchet wasn't taking it well. The robot could hear his friend groan in his dreams about her coming to claim him, and the Lombax was even starting to hear noises that weren't there. Either Kayako was doing this, or Ratchet was slowly losing it. Clank hoped it wasn't the last of the two. Ratchet walked into the dining room and stuffed some bread into the toaster. The Lombax could feel something. The air had changed, it was clammy, cold even. Either that, or he was coming down with something. The toaster popped up and Ratchet caught the toast with his left hand just as Clank came in from where the computer was.

"I've just been talking to Aphelion. And we've reached an agreement about how to solve all this"

Ratchet turned, munching his toast, curious as to what Clank had agreed.

"What do you mean?" he said with a mouthful of cruncy bread

"We think that we know a way to stop this curse"

Ratchet's eyes went wide

"Go on..."

"Well, you know how you got this curse by going into that house? Just by being in it?"

Ratchet nodded

"We think, that you need to make someone else go in the house to pass on the curse and skip you"

"Clank, that's brilliant!"

Clank smiled smugly to himself

"Well, not really..."

Ratchet's smile faded from his face

"But...who do I send in there?"

Clank's happy mood vanished as well.

"Ah..."

Ratchet frowned. Even if he got away from the curse, then the other person would die in his place

"I don't know if I can do that Clank...it's not how I act"

The Lombax was about to walk away when he was held back by something. He looked down and gaped. Toshio, Kayako's son was there grabbing Ratchet by his legs.

"Let me go!" He cried out as he struggled to get free. Suddenly, black tendrils of hair began to snake round Ratchet's face. He cried out in horror.

"Clank! Help me!"

Clank instinctively grabbed one of Ratchet's weapons from nearby. It was his sniper from his commando days.

"Clank, shoot her!"

"Ratchet, it might not work!"

"Do something! Ple-"

Ratchet's words were cut off by a tendril of hair gagging him. He screamed in terror as Clank looked unsure what to do. Clank himself was totally bewildered. Should he try it? What if he hit Ratchet? He looked back at his Lombax friend. Tears were in his eyes as he looked despratly at his robot companion. What was Clank to do?


End file.
